It's a Kind of Magic
by MyraValhallah
Summary: When Harry Potter enters Gringotts on his 11th Birthday his life  and past  are changed forever. How will his life be different as he grew up with his real family?  J/S SB/OC maybe RL/OC  No flames please
1. Prologue

_**I've read quite a few Harry Potter Crossovers lately and I wanted to have a go at writing my own- hope you like it**_

_**Pairings: J/S SB/OC possibly even RL/OC too**_

_**Summery: On his eleventh birthday Harry Potter enters Gringotts and the course of his destiny (not to mention his past) is changed forever. How will him growing up with his true family change the story? Read on and find out**_

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><p><em><strong>}<strong>**Prologue****{**_

_"Once upon a time in a kingdom far away, there lived a beautiful princess. Life wasn't easy for the young princess for her wicked stepmother worked her like a slave. But what no-one knew was that the King of the Goblins had fallen in love with the girl and had given her certain powers. The princess knew that if she wished it, the King of the Goblins would keep her brother in his castle forever and ever and turn him into a goblin. So one night when the princess could take the burden no longer she called to the King of the Goblins for help._

"Goblin King, Goblin King! Wherever you may be, take this child of mine far away from me!"

_The King of the Goblins granted the princess' wish and took the baby away to his castle at the centre of a vast labyrinth. Too late the princess realized that she still loved her baby brother and so she pleaded with the King to return him._

_"What's said is said" the Goblin King responded, for he took his promises very seriously. But the Goblin King did not have it in his heart to refuse the Princess for he still loved her a great deal._

"You have thirteen hours to solve the Labyrinth before your baby brother becomes one of us forever."

_Through dangers untold and hardships unnumbered she fought her way to the castle beyond the goblin city to take back the child that he had stolen. The Goblin King offered the princess her heart's desire if only she would bow to him. But her will was as strong as his and her kingdom as great. He had no power over her._

_The princess returned home with her baby brother confident that she had seen the last of the Goblin King. And sure enough, the Goblin King never troubled her again."_

Yes, that is the story which you have most likely been told- however, as everyone should know, things are not always what they seem to be- while it is true that the Princess wished away her baby brother only to win him back a mere eleven hours later; the princess did not leave the king behind- she agreed to stay with him in his castle beyond the Goblin City on the condition that he leave her brother alone.

Three years later the Princess- who had fallen as deeply in love with the King as he had with her- became the Goblin Queen. In time the King and Queen were blessed with the arrival of twin heirs- a beautiful little Princess and a handsome little Prince. While both inherited their mother's raven locks; the princess inherited their father's mismatched eyes while her brother's eyes were the same emerald green as their mother's.

All was well in the Underground until the King's sister- Ruler of the neighbouring Firey Kingdom- sent pleas for help as her territory was attacked. The Underground was plunged into war; so to protect their precious babes the Goblin King and Queen sent the prince and princess Above, separated for their own safety.

Soon, but not soon enough the war came to an end- happily in the favour of those allied with the Goblin King and his sister; it was time for the Prince and princess to come home from the Above. The Princess was found safe and sound where they left her, her surrogate parents were rewarded with a baby girl of their own; but as for the Prince- the boy's guardians had been slain in an Aboveground war and their beloved son was lost to them; hidden by wards erected around him for his own safety.

The King and Queen never lost hope that one day they would be reunited with their son; little did they know that their prayers would be answered on the Prince and Princess' eleventh birthday.

~V~

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><p><em><strong>AN: I'm working on a companion piece for this- the details of this prologue- if you're interested in reading it, let me know in a review**_

_**More to come very soon**_


	2. I:Changes

**_Any confusion relating to this story should be straightened out by the end of the story_**

**_And now without further ado..._**

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><p><em><strong>}<strong>__**Chapter One**__**{**_

Harry Potter lay awake on the cold stone floor of the Shack in which he and his only living relatives- the Dursleys- were staying for the night. A ferocious storm was raging outside but that was not the reason for the boy's lack of sleep; Harry's green eyes were fixed on the digital display of his enormous cousin Dudley's watch as it counted down the last few seconds until his eleventh birthday.

Five- the rain lashed against the tiny windows.

Four- a flash of lightening illuminated the room.

Three- the wind whistled through the shack making Harry shiver.

Two- thunder; the storm really was that close.

One and…

BOOM

Little did Harry know that the enormous visitor to the tiny shack- Rubeus Hagrid by name- would be instrumental in changing, not only his hopes and dreams for the future but his very past.

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><p>"Mr Harry Potter wishes to make a withdrawal" Hagrid informed the Goblin who sat behind the desk in the marble bedecked lobby of Gringotts Wizard bank.<p>

The Goblin looked up at Hagrid. "Mr Harry Potter?"

His gaze settled on Harry and his eyes widened. He let out an exclamation in a strange language which was actually almost familiar to Harry.

"Is there a problem?" a second Goblin came scuttling up.

"It's possible" the first nodded then lapsed into that strange tongue again.

The second Goblin looked at Harry; looked him directly in the eyes and said. "I see; well we shall have to take this matter to a higher authority"

"Mr Hagrid" the first Goblin addressed him. "We received word that you were assigned to make a withdrawal on behalf of an anonymous party"

"Oh yeah" Hagrid nodded. "But I 'ave teh wait with Harry"

"He will be quite safe Mr Hagrid" the Goblin assured him. "He shall still be in the Building when you return"

Harry felt like it would be better not to argue; Hagrid however hesitated...

"Is there a problem?" a voice with an accent somewhere between American and English asked.

Harry, Hagrid and the two Goblins looked in the direction of the speaker. A blonde, blue eyed, man in his early twenties, dressed in Wizard's robes. By his side was a pretty girl of about Harry's own age. She was a half a head taller than him with large mismatched- blue and green eyes; she had black hair which was only half successfully restrained in a low pony tail. She was dressed in a knee length denim skirt, suede boots and a green T-shirt under a denim jacket.

The girl smiled at him- a smile, which he recalled from his Primary School photos, was a lot like his own.

"Aeowyn" the man spoke and the girl looked up at him.

"Yes Uncle Toby?"

"Run and fetch your dad" Toby cocked his head to look at Harry. "I think he'll be interested in this new development"

Aeowyn frowned but nodded and disappeared back the way she and her uncle had come.

"Mr Potter" Toby smiled. "I am Toby Williams, CEO of Gringotts; may I have a word with you in my office?"

Dumbfounded Harry nodded and allowed Toby to tow him into a rather plush office. A large desk stood in the middle of the space with a high-backed leather chair behind it, a large mirror stood in one corner and a shelving unit stood behind the aforementioned chair, crammed with books and a few oddments.

"Sit down" Mr Williams gestured to a comfortable looking chair which Harry was sure hadn't been there a second ago. "As soon as my niece returns with... ah that was fast."

Harry followed the blonde man's gaze to the mirror and his jaw dropped as the girl, Aeowyn, stepped through into the office followed by a blonde man dressed in tight leather trousers, knee length boots, a black billowy shirt over which he wore a leather coat.

"Toby" the man began, a smirk twisting his mouth. "Why do you insist on wearing those ridiculous dresses whenever you come Above?"

"Habit Jareth" Mr Williams shrugged elegantly. "But that's not the point"

He gestured to Harry. "Look at the boy's eyes"

The man called Jareth crouched before Harry; caught his chin in one leather gloved hand and looked into his eyes.

"Sarah's eyes!"

Harry wondered just who this Sarah was, his mother's name was Lily.

"I know" Mr Williams nodded. "He goes by the name of Harry Potter and everything"

"Airen" Jareth muttered. "Yes I see it now. Sarah cannot see him, not in this condition..."

Harry wanted so much to ask this man what was going on, but a decade with his Aunt and Uncle had taught him not to ask questions.

"Tell me boy; where have you been living?" Jareth demanded of Harry. "The full address, quickly."

"Number Four Privet Drive" Harry recited, automatically. "Little Whinging, Surrey"

"Thank you" Jareth smiled. "Toby, the boy looks hungry. Wyn, you know your way around the Alley well enough, my dear- go and have some fun."

"Thank you father" Aeowyn curtsied and slipped out of the office.

"Where are you going Jareth?" Mr Williams asked

"I have some ten year old business to take care of old chap" Jareth smirked. "Take care of the boy's needs while I am gone"

With that, he vanished from the office.

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><p>Jareth, King of the Goblins, appeared in a stiflingly magic free suburb. This was where his son had grown up then was it? He found Number Four quickly and let himself into the empty house.<p>

There was little to suggest that there was anyone living in this house besides a horse faced blonde woman with too much in the way of neck; a ruddy walrus of a man and a fat blonde boy with his father's mean piggy little eyes.

He touched the wall of the living room and, because it's true what they say about walls having ears (and eyes for that matter), the Goblin King's anger towards his son's mortal guardians grew as he was shown ten years of cruelty and neglect. His beloved son had been treated worse than the Goblins simply because he had been raised by narrow minded, magic loathing mortals.

"No more, my son" he promised. "You shall be saved from this treatment"

He vanished and rematerialized in the gardens of his parents' castle where his sister and wife were taking tea.

"Pardon my interruption Ladies, Lyra may I steal Sarah away for just a few moments"

His Queen rose and followed him a short distance.

"Jareth, are you alright?"

"Perfectly precious" he nodded. "I have found Airen"

Sarah's eyes widened then she threw her eyes around his neck. "Where is he Jareth? Where's my baby boy?"

"Safe now precious" Jareth assured her. "I know where he has been since the night that his surrogate parents passed on and..." here his voice darkened. "What the poor child has been through."

"Jareth?" Sarah stared up at him. "What do you mean?"

"He was given to Lily Potter's sister" Jareth told her. "They mistreated him horribly while he lived with them- but fret not my Sarah; I shall reorder time and rescue Airen before he was placed with those ahem... '_people_'."

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><p>Hiding in the shadows the Goblin King watched as an elderly man with long silver hair and beard, dressed in ridiculously elaborate wizard's robes apparated into the suburb, extinguished the streetlights and sidled casually up to sit next to a tabby cat on the wall outside number four. Jareth's sharp eyes adapted to the change of light level almost immediately and he half considered listening to the banter between Dumbledore and the cat-Witch. Where was Airen?<p>

Jareth was impatient to reclaim his son and return to the Underground.

Finally a huge flying mortal vehicle baring a man who couldn't be any less than half Giant. This man had the child.

"Fell asleep just as we were flyin' over Bristol" the man, whose name turned out to be Hagrid announced.

Hagrid handed Harry Potter over to Dumbledore and Jareth, the Witch and Hagrid watched as he placed the baby on the doorstep.

When the mismatched envoy departed it was Jareth's turn to step in and sweep the boy away from the narrow minded bastards who would make his life a misery. He picked the blanket wrapped bundle up and a tidal wave of negative experiences which would no longer happen to his precious son washed over him.

The level of abuse and neglect Airen would have suffered with the magic haters in this dwelling angered Jareth. Harry Potter would cease to exist until it was time for him to attend Hogwarts; and the 'Muggles' would learn to tolerate those different than themselves.

"The magic in thy sister's blood shall carry through to your son Petunia Dursley" he decreed touching the front door with an uncharacteristically bare hand. "This way you shall learn that Magic is not an abomination.

"Come my son, it is time to return to your mother and sister" he told the child in his arms and turned to walk back into the shadows.

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><p>Peace had been restored to the Underground months ago but Airen had not yet been found. Jareth paced the throne room deep in thought- his very demeanour shouted out to all and sundry that woe betide any who came too close to him.<p>

"Now then old boy" a familiar voice remarked. "Your back may never forgive you for hunching it like that"

Jareth's head snapped up so that he could look at the cretin whom he was about to condemn to the bottom of the Bog of Eternal Stench but his jaw dropped at the sight of _himself_ leaning casually in the archway leading to the Escher Room. This newcomer looked older than him- his hair had more grey in it than Jareth had ever hoped to see in his lovely blonde hair, and his face was somewhat lined.

"Ten years of constant searching and worry do terrible things to a man" this older Jareth informed him with the ghost of a wry smirk. "Fortunately I have spared from you this fate"

"Explain" Present Jareth frowned.

Future Jareth parted the cloak which was draped around him revealing a bundle in his arms. "Jareth, King of the Goblins, allow me to reintroduce you to your Son"

"Airen!" Present Jareth exclaimed, taking Airen in his arms. "Where was he?"

"With the magickless relatives of Mrs Lily Potter- this should explain things" Future Jareth produced a crystal which he tossed to Present Jareth. "I must go now before I fade"

With that Future Jareth turned and vanished.

Jareth parted the folds in the blanket which swathed his son- Airen lay sleeping peacefully, he looked perfectly healthy and completely unharmed save the lightning bolt shaped cut on his brow- this cut reeked of dark magic. A curse scar?

"Come my son" he murmured to the sleeping one year old. "Your mother and Aunt have been worried about you"

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><p>"Sarah, open the door!"<p>

"Just a minute, Jareth!" Sarah called, casting a glamour over herself to hide the fact that she'd been crying for their lost son again- Jareth hated seeing her cry- when she was again presentable she went to let him in.

Her jaw dropped at the sight of the bundle in her husband's arms- could it be...?

"Jareth?" she asked, eyes darting between the bundle and her husband's face

"He is home my Sarah- safe and sound"

With a sob Sarah took the bundle from her mate and looked down into her beloved son's face.

"What happened to him?" she asked, tracing the scar with the tip of one finger

"He was hit by a curse- a powerful one" Jareth sighed. "There should be a way to remove it. We shall have the Healer check him out in the morning; but for now- let him rest

The entire Underground celebrated the return of the missing Prince for weeks. But in the Aboveground an elderly wizard by name of Albus Percival Wolfric Brian Dumbledore paced his office, concern etched in every line of his body.

Little Harry Potter was not with his Aunt and Uncle and, staggeringly a new name was added to the waiting list- _Dudley Vernon Dursley: Number 4 Privet Drive, Little Whinging, Surrey_

~V~

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><p><strong><em>Please, Leave a Contribution in the Little Box<em>**


	3. II:Toby

_**Thank you to those of you who added my story to your favourites and alerts- special shout outs to Niphuria and Gene's Gal for being my first reviewers :)**_

_**Perhaps it will interest you guys to know that I will be spending a good few chapters on the ten years before the second chapter of Philosopher's Stone; because I feel that Harry needs a childhood.**_

_**And now without further ado...**_

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><p><em><strong>}<strong>__**Chapter Two**__**{**_

Toby Williams sat, in stony silence, in his room, looking as though he were attempting to burn a hole in the carpet with the intensity of his glare. It wasn't fair; he wasn't the one who'd made his mother's entire collection of snow-globes explode- how could he have been? He'd been on the other side of the room from the display case attempting to complete his homework.

He'd only been punished because he was in the same room as the incident. Weird things tended to happen around him; especially when his emotions flared- these happenings had started when he was six and for the life of him, the eleven year old couldn't think how they happened.

"Toby!" his mother's voice called from the foot of the stairs. "Come down here please!"

Toby bit his lip- '_What have I done now?_'

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><p>Minerva McGonagall had been to many far flung places to collect Muggle Born first years in her years as Deputy Headmistress but never America before, but here she sat in a horrifically fashionable living room with Mr Toby Williams' mother, a horrifically fashionable woman with artificial blonde hair. The boy, Toby, was upstairs, apparently being punished for breaking his mother's collection of <em>snow-globes<em>- what ever they were- in a burst of accidental magic.

"Ah, here's Toby" Mrs Williams said after a few minutes

Minerva looked up at a handsome boy dressed in a T-shirt and jeans, his feet clad in naught but socks, He had blue eyes and unruly blonde hair standing on the bottom step. She rose as he entered the room, eyes moving between his mother and her.

"Toby dear this is Mrs McGonagall..." Mrs Williams began

"Professor" Minerva corrected. "I am Professor McGonagall, Deputy Headmistress at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry- I am here because you, Mr Williams have a place at our school."

The boy opened his mouth to speak but his mother cut across him. "There's no such thing as magic!"

"Mrs Williams..." Professor McGonagall began

"No! No my step daughter believed in Magic too- she believed so strongly that she ran off when she was fifteen, claiming that she was travelling to some ridiculous fantasy world, and we haven't seen her since. I don't want my son ending up like that"

"Perhaps a demonstration" Minerva nodded, knowing that she wouldn't even need to draw her wand to prove her point.

Mrs Williams's face went slack as she watched Minerva turn into a tabby cat.

"Oh cool!" Toby exclaimed. "Will I be able to turn into an animal too?"

"Perhaps" Minerva replied, after becoming her human form again. "But to become an Animagus is a very complicated area of transfiguration- you will learn more about it in your third year"

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><p>Toby was really excited- he'd never been to England before. After giving him a letter which included his supplies list, Professor McGonagall had taken him to London via something called side-along apparition. They appeared in a side street just across the road from a pub named the Leaky Cauldron.<p>

"Muggles- or non-magic folk cannot see the Leaky Cauldron Mr Williams" the Professor told him. "It is our route into Diagon Alley- where you can purchase your school supplies"

She led him across the road and through the poky little pub and out into a street which was like nothing he'd ever dreamed of. He found himself regretting the fact that he didn't have more pairs of eyes.

"Come along Mr Williams" Professor McGonagall took off towards a large official looking building at the far end of the street. "Our first port of call is Gringotts bank"

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><p>Sarah O'Malley (the name she and Jareth used in the Aboveground) sat outside Florian Fortescue's carefully monitoring the Twins as they ate the ice-creams she'd bought for them. She had brought them Aboveground because the castle was currently host to a particularly foul mouthed five year old wished away and neither Sarah nor Jareth wanted their children subjected to curse words.<p>

Airen- thankfully seemed to have forgotten that he was ever even remotely connected to the name Harry Potter; that unsightly curse scar which would have made him recognizable to any wizard was long since healed and the alarming parasite (a segment of someone else's soul) was now inhabiting one of Jareth's crystals.

"Hey Queen!" one of their ever present Goblin Guard exclaimed. "Queen!"

"Yes Horton?" she hissed trying not to draw attention to herself- the Goblin Guard could only be seen by those they were protecting and other members of the Goblin Court.

"I seen Queen brother" Horton pointed with one long gnarled finger towards a mismatched pair; a tall austere looking witch dressed in a drab grey business suit and an eleven year old boy who was as familiar to Sarah as her own children, even if it had been nearly a decade since she'd last seen him.

What in the Underground was Toby doing on Diagon Alley?

Suddenly as if he knew he was being watched, Toby looked over at her; their eyes met- his jaw dropped and his eyes widened. Then she watched as his mouth formed her name.

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><p>Toby knew her on sight- she looked exactly like the photo on Dad's desk albeit older and he was sure her eyes hadn't been slanted before but that didn't matter.<p>

"Sarah?" he murmured, as her green eyes kept contact with his blue ones

She nodded in acknowledgement, a small smile lighting her face.

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><p>Minerva didn't know when exactly her young charge moved from behind her but one second Mr Williams was with her and the next he was in the arms of a beautiful young woman outside Florian Fortescue's.<p>

"Mr Williams!" the Scottish witch exclaimed. "What is the meaning of this?"

"Uh" Mr Williams began, withdrawing himself from the woman's arms slightly.

"Sarah O'Malley" the woman introduced herself with the same American accent as the boy's. "Nee Williams- I'm Toby's sister; and you are?"

"Minerva McGonagall- deputy headmistress of Hogwarts; your brother is just about to enter first year"

"Mama!"

Minerva and Toby both looked surprised to see a pair of raven haired toddlers- one with unruly waves which fell down her back and the other with floppy hair that stuck up in all directions. Sarah O'Malley smiled and picked them up, settling one on each hip.

"Who?" the little boy asked, pointing at Mr Williams

"That's uncle Toby" Mrs O'Malley told the little one. "Tobes, have you been to Gringotts yet?"

"We've just got here" the young man told his sister.

"Professor McGonagall" Mrs O'Malley addressed her in a calm voice. "My brother is very important to me- and I would be grateful to you if you would allow me to take care of Toby's needs whilst here"

The next thing Minerva knew she was sitting in the Leaky Cauldron nursing a cherry.

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><p>Toby watched in surprise as Professor McGonagall's back straightened further and walked away, back in the direction of the Leaky Caldron.<p>

Sarah chuckled. "I didn't think that would work?"

"What's going on?" Toby asked, looking at the two little kids, to whom his sister had referred to him as 'Uncle Toby'. "What did you do to Professor McGonagall? Who are the Kids?"

"It's a long story" Sarah told him. "But these two little hellions are my children- Aeowyn and Airen"

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><p>'<em>Life is strange<em>' Toby thought as he sat on the large bed in his new room; which was at least twice the size of the room in which he had slept in his parents' home.

Only yesterday he'd been a normal kid; now he was going to learn to be a wizard, with a sister who was Queen of the Goblins- and had done some sort of mind control thing on his soon to be deputy Headmistress. Now, by some Faerie hocus pocus, Jareth- his brother in law- had made it so that everyone thought that Toby's home was with Sarah and had been for years.

"Getting settled?"

Toby flinched and looked up at his bedroom door, there was a pretty lady of about Sarah's age, also black haired but hers had streaks of orange and yellow in it, leaning in the doorway- she was dressed in a short scarlet dress which looked like the skirt had been ripped messily, diagonally upwards from the left knee, paired with a pair of black trousers and leather boots.

"Who…?"

The woman smirked- a similar expression to Jareth's, her mismatched eyes glowing strangely. "My name's Lyra- I'm Jareth's sister"

"Toby" Said Toby. "Sarah's my sister"

"I remember you- we met when you were a baby but you won't remember that" Lyra shrugged. "I hear you got a Hogwarts letter- It's a fine school; I went myself"

"Really?" Toby asked. "What's it like?"

Lyra moved into the room and sat on his bed. "It all depends what house you end up in- I was in Gryffindor, where dwell the brave of heart; there's also Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw for the bright and brainy and- if you're really unlucky- Slytherin"

"So Slytherin's a bad thing then?"

Lyra's lip curled. "It's a well-known fact that there wasn't a witch or wizard who went bad that _wasn't_ in Slytherin- well, with one exception…"

Lyra refused to elaborate so Toby thought it wise to change the subject. "Will you tell me more about Hogwarts?"

~V~

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><p><em><strong>And enter Toby...<strong>_

_**Toby will be a bit of a minor character, I just feel like Harry (or rather Airen) should have some knowledge of Hogwarts before he goes.**_

_**Some information on Lyra- she went to Hogwarts with the Marauders, Lily and Snape.**_

_**Thank you for allowing me to waffle.**_

_**Please let me know what you think of this latest chapter.**_


	4. III:The Turning of the Years

_**Hey Guys, I'm back**_

_**I'm stunned by the response that last chapter got- thank you guys for all of your reviews :)**_

_**To all of you who commented on any supposed Slytherin hate- I hope that this chapter helps to resolve the situation :)**_

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><p><em><strong>}<strong>__**Chapter Three**__**{**_

_Dear Toby._

_I'm happy to hear that you're getting settled in at Hogwarts. Sorry about not telling you about the sorting ceremony- it's an unwritten rule that first years don't know how they get divided into the four houses._

_My advice about your friend, Mr Young, is that just because he is in Slytherin is no reason for you to end your friendship with him. When I said that "_there wasn't a Witch or Wizard that went bad who wasn't in Slytherin_" I simply meant that virtually every Dark witch or wizard to attend Hogwarts had been in Slytherin. I must also lay some blame on the group of friends I had during my own school days, it never occurred to me that I had internalized some of their opinions._

_Remind me, next time you are home, to tell you about a friend of mine- a witch who I respected until the day she died- who didn't let the feud between Gryffindor and Slytherin get in the way of her Friendship with a Slytherin boy._

_I must finish now as I must not be late for hearing Grievances- my Fireys tend to become destructive when riled._

_Your friend_

_Lyra_

Toby smiled as he finished reading the note which he had just received- he stroked his eagle owl- Thor's feathers, handed him a rasher of bacon and, as he flew away Toby rose, ignoring the questioning looks from his fellow Gryffindors and made his way over to the Slytherin table.

"Adam…?" he began, touching his first wizard friend's shoulder. "Can we talk?"

The two first years walked out of the great hall, Dog trotting along in his master's wake, as always.

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><p>"I still don't get it"<p>

"Nymph" Toby warned turning his back on his friend. "Just 'cause he's in Slytherin doesn't mean we can't be friends with him- your mum was a Slytherin"

"That's different!" Nymph seethed, her long dark hair becoming short, ginger and spiky. "And don't call me Nymph- its _Tonks_"

The two third years stood with their backs to each other- Toby's friendship with Adam Young was the only issue the two friends couldn't come to some sort of agreement on.

"We all got on swimmingly on the train- why is the fact that he ended up in Slytherin any reason for you to turn your back on him _Nymphadora_?"

"You're muggle born Tobes- I don't expect you to understand" Tonks sighed. "My mum was pureblood- I don't know how she ended up in Slytherin but the typical Slytherin looks down on people like us; like we're something they trod in"

"This blood purity business is a ton of bull crap" Toby remarked. "Adam's muggle born too, the other Slytherins loath him for it- it makes me sick!"

Tonks opened her mouth to make a witty retort but it died in her mouth- after standing around looking something like a pike on acid for a few minutes she closed her eyes. "What do you want me to do? Pretend he's not a Slytherin?"

"No" Toby sighed. "Can't you see past the green of his Quidditch Robes? It's not completely unheard of for Gryffindors and Slytherins to be friends- look at Snape!"

"Do I have to?" Tonks quipped- Snape kept deducting points from her for entering his lesson with technicolour hair- when he knew that her control over her gift was limited at best- then, when she saw him roll his eyes. "What about him?"

"His best friend when he was at school was a Gryffindor"

"How do you know?"

"My sister's sister in law was at school with them" Toby announced proudly. "She told me"

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><p>Arabella Figg shook her head as she read the Daily Prophet- there was yet another long article on whether or not Harry Potter was staying with Lily's sister. Arabella was one of the few who did know the answer to that particular issue. As loyal as she was to Dumbledore she didn't agree with how the old wizard was attempting to convince the whole of wizard Britain that Harry was in Surrey, it was only a matter of time before the reason behind Harry's invisibility would be uncovered, and then where would the wizarding world be?<p>

An interesting development was how the little Porker, Dudley Dursley was showing signs of accidental magic. Of course his Magic hating parents refused to tell the boy what he was. Strangely it seemed that Mr and Mrs Dursley seemed to be attempting to spoil the magic out of him, however that only made things worse- on the rare occasion that he didn't get what he wanted from his parents his anger sparked off his magic. He had been three when she'd seen the first sign; his mother had refused to purchase him an ice cream from the van which parked most days outside the shop on the corner of Wisteria Walk, and in his toddler rage he had set the lawn of the nearest house on fire.

The boy was five now and rotten to the core, quite possibly the biggest bully in his reception class.

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><p>Albus Dumbledore felt old- the headmaster was a firm believer in the Muggle saying, '<em>You're only as old as you feel<em>'. He was concerned with the lack of faith that the Wizarding world had in his word that Harry was indeed with his aunt and uncle- admittedly blind denial about the boy's absence probably wasn't the best way to go about things- but he couldn't lose face.

On the night that James and Lily had died Albus had been presented with a perfect opportunity- in placing Harry with his mother's sister, Albus could install blood wards- to keep the lad from detection, and coincidentally, give him the chance to indirectly raise the antithesis to Tom. However Harry's disappearance, mere hours after being left with the Dursleys complicated matters.

"Where are you Harry?" he asked, gazing out of the large window as if the little boy were about to come into view

* * *

><p>Lyra O'Malley surveyed the wreckage of what used to be her capital city. Even now after nearly six years the carnage still broke her heart. That bitch Mizumi had rendered the place a veritable swamp. A forest was one thing but a swamp was no place for Fireys to live. Jareth had been so kind to allow her and the remainder of her subjects, twenty five in total, to live in the Labyrinth until which time she had a territory of her own again.<p>

The young Queen didn't understand why Mizumi had involved her in her vendetta against Jareth- he had rejected the Queen of Cups back when Lyra was in first year at Hogwarts, back when uncle Brennan was still on the throne.

Lyra clenched her fists, her nails digging into the soft leather of her fingerless gloves- gods but she wanted to hit something. She needed someone to hold her and tell her that she wasn't the failure that she felt like.

"I wish you were here guys" she mumbled, thinking about the four mortal boys she'd been friends with in school- she thought of James, poor James who had loved Airen despite knowing that he wasn't his son; she thought of Remus, the brave man that he was, trying to make his way in a world of small minded wand carriers; she thought of Sirius, ah Sirius... thoughts of him were what had kept her sane throughout the war- Sirius Black, her boyfriend of three years following their school years. The last time she'd seen him was the night she'd taken Airen to Godric's Hollow…

That's when something very odd occurred; she felt the veil between the realms split and the next second she was sprawled on the ground with something dark and heavy on top of her.

A masculine groan of pain could be heard- the voice was rather familiar.

"Sirius?" Lyra asked, not wanting to believe the odd coincidence- Fae were immune to wish magic. "Sirius Black, is that you?"

The man jumped back about a foot, staring at her strangely.

* * *

><p>If this was death then he didn't quite know what to make of it- he seemed to have ended up in some swamp having landed quite heavily on top of a beautiful dark haired woman. She looked almost exactly like an ex-girlfriend of his; sounded a lot like her too, as she said his name.<p>

"Lyra?" he asked, not quite sure if it was her. "You're dead?"

Lyra O'Malley's distinctive mismatched eyes fairly glowed as she laughed. "This is not the land of the Dead Sirius- this is the Underground, my homeland"

Lyra didn't like the look of Sirius, he was wasted, aged horribly and his eyes had a haunted look in them- what had happened to him?

"I'm not dead?" Sirius asked. "Lyra you have to help me get back to the Ministry of Magic- Harry and his friends need me"

"What would a five year old boy be doing at the Ministry of Magic?" she frowned

"No, he's fifteen"

Lyra cocked her head, considering what might have happened. "When you were in the Misinstry of magic, what year was it?"

"1995" Sirius announced automatically

"Sorry honey" Lyra shook her head. "The Aboveground year is 19_85_"

Sirius eyes rolled back in their sockets as he fainted

~V~

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><p>AN: And enter Padfoot :) More from him in the next

**_Let me know what you think,_**

**_Til next time..._**


	5. IV:Meetings and Memories

**_Hi guys, I'm back._**

**_Thanks to all you guys who took the time to review, favourite and or alert this story- you guys are awesome :D_**

**_Though as the Review reply system has died-_**

**_Alec963: Really which part got you laughing exactly?_**

**_Reader1writer1_****_: glad you liked it- and does it really show what's going on in the Aboveground? Things aren't always what they seem :)_**

**_And now without further ado I present..._**

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><p><em><strong>}<strong>__**Chapter Four**__**{**_

Sirius Black woke up in a cheerful room, decorated in the Gryffindor colours. The walls were pale gold and the carpet thick and scarlet- he was lying under scarlet satin sheets in a queen sized bed, feeling better than he had in years…

It felt as though he had never even set foot on Azkaban Island let alone served twelve years in that living hell which they called a prison.

"Ah, you're awake"

Sirius started and looked over at the door. Lyra O'Malley was leaning against the door dressed in a very strange entirely white outfit consisting of a pair of breeches, long knee length socks, short boots and a jacket. Under her right arm she held what appeared to be a mesh visor of some description; in her left, gloved hand she held a sword.

"Where am I?" he asked her, yes that seemed the best place to start

She set the sword, glove and mask down before replying.

"My chambers" she shrugged and clicked her fingers- the white suit turned into a white work shirt which was too big for her even if it was tied with a Gryffindor red sash, a pair of black trousers, accentuated with gold stitching, which showed off her shapely legs, tucked into a pair of boots which rose to her mid-calf. "In the castle beyond the Goblin City"

"Goblins?" They didn't live in cities, he was sure of it

"Goblins" she nodded, as if that cleared anything up. "What I want to know is how in the Underground you came to fall through the veil between the realms"

His face must have been a question mark because, as she seated herself on the edge of his bed. "I don't know how much you remember, but three days ago you landed on top of me- you said something about death, and Airen being at the Ministry of Magic in 1995"

"Who in the name of Merlin's saggy left testicle is Airen?" was the first thing Sirius wanted to know. "I need to get back- for Harry"

Lyra frowned. "You don't remember the last night you saw me?"

"What does that have to do with any…?"

Without warning she placed a hand on his brow and said something in a strange language- suddenly a memory presented itself to him...

* * *

><p><em>He knew something was amiss the moment he saw her standing on the doorstep, wrapped in a billowing black cloak despite the warmth of the August evening. He'd answered the door as Moony and Prongs were doing their best to comfort Lily following the murder of her parents.<em>

_"Lyra?" he began, wanting to draw her into a hug and hold her until whatever was wrong went away._

_"I can't stay long" she told him quietly. "I need to see Lily and James. May I come in?"_

_Sirius nodded and led her through to the living room._

_Their three friends looked up and all smiled a weak greeting, which Lyra returned._

_"I need a huge favour" she began without preliminary. "I wouldn't do this but you are the most trust worthy people I know in this realm"_

_"What do you need?" Remus asked- by this point all five knew that Lyra wasn't a native._

_In answer Lyra parted the folds of her cloak, revealing light armour and a baby held close to her breast by a sling, and one arm._

_"This is my brother's son, Airen" she told them. "He is but a month old and, although his parents and I are loath to do this- the Underground is not a safe place right now. I was wondering if you, Lily and James, would raise him as your son, just until the time is ripe to bring him home"_

_Lyra went on to explain how everyone except the four of them would remember Airen as their son, Harry, only until he returned to the Underground when James and Lily would be rewarded with a son of their own._

_"You can promise that?" Lily asked, sceptically._

_"Yes" Lyra nodded. "You all know that my clan are all Fae, and as such we have the power to germinate life within a woman's womb. Now, will you do this for me, and for his parents?"_

_"Yes" Lily nodded. She wanted a baby of her own so badly, but they'd been unsuccessful_

_"Yes" James agreed_

_"Remus, Sirius, I need you two to act as his guardians- should anything happen to James and Lily, keep my nephew safe- please"_

_"I Promise" Sirius nodded, pulling his girlfriend into his arms, careful not to squish her nephew, and kissed her brow_

_"I promise" Remus parroted_

_"Thank you all" Lyra wiped away the tears which that had leaked from her eyes._

_She pulled away from Sirius and transferred the baby to Lily's arms. She drew out a glass ball from the pocket of her cloak and threw it down to the floor. The ball smashed as it hit the floor and the shards seemed to melt into the floor._

* * *

><p>"Airen" Sirius gasped, taking her hands- they had always been slightly warmer than the average person's but he assumed that was normal for her kind. "Lyra, how did I forget?"<p>

"Haven't the foggiest" Lyra admitted. "We think it may have happened the night Dumbledore left Airen on Lily's sister's doorstep- Jareth says that the old coot probably erected a barrier of spells around him that rendered him untraceable, even to us- we knew who he was but not where"

"Who's Jareth?" Sirius asked, wondering whether or not he should be jealous.

Lyra laughed. "I'd forgotten that I never told you- Jareth is my brother, King of the Goblins and Lord of the Labyrinth- Airen's father"

"You said before that this is 1985?" Sirius asked for clarification, at her nod he asked. "Shouldn't you be going to Surrey to get him from Lily's sister?"

"Pardon me?" Lyra frowned, "Why would he be in Surrey?"

"Because Dumbledore left him there, the night after Lily and James…" she cut him off with a giggle.

"Ah Siri- you're obviously from a future unaffected by Jareth's intervention; Airen has been with us since a few months after the war ended"

"Alright, how?" He definitely remembered a boy named Harry Potter living with Lily's awful relatives at the age of fifteen.

Lyra began to tell him about how- while only her brother recalled it first hand- on the day of Harry Potter's eleventh birthday, the day he entered Gringotts the Goblins had recognized him, which led to Jareth reordering time so that Airen had grown up in the Underground.

"He doesn't even remember being Harry?" Sirius asked when Lyra had finished her narrative. He was saddened by the thought that his happy little pseudo Godson might not even remember him.

"If he does he has never given any indication" Lyra told him. "He's a mischievous five year old Fae whose partner in crime is his twin sister"

"He's got a sister?"

"Yes, Aeowyn, but for the sake of safety she was left with a different family- Lovegood or something"  
>"Was her alias Luna by any chance?"<p>

"How the… how did you know that?"

"I have my ways" he smirked

* * *

><p>One week, and several visits from an Elfin Healer, later Sirius was allowed out of bed; he was also removed to a suite just across from Lyra's.<p>

"It is one thing for you to stay in her Firey Majesty's chambers while you recovered, but for an unwed couple to share chambers is unseemly" Lyra's Ladies' maid, a Fae woman named Felicia announced scandalized when Sirius protested the need for him to move out of his girlfriend's chambers- as neither party recalled breaking their relationship off five years ago, they decided to attempt to pick up again from approximately where they'd left off.

"Were we not technically guests in my brother's kingdom I'd allow you to stay" Lyra had answered when he'd looked to her for support.

Begrudgingly he let the subject drop.

* * *

><p>"So who is this man?" Sarah asked her husband. "You never got further than Lyra wants us to meet a friend of hers"<p>

They were sat in their thrones, Jareth felt the annoying need for formality in this occasion- normally they shared his.

"The fellow's name is Sirius Black- Lyra claims that they are friends but the way she speaks of him is too affectionate for a platonic relationship"

"Did she use the word _Boyfriend_?"

"That was the word" Jareth nodded.

Sarah giggled. "Oh Jareth you are adorable- a boyfriend is very much the same thing as a _Beau_"

Jareth stiffened. "They are lovers?"

"Practically yeah- but Ly's a big girl Jareth, let her be"

Jareth grumbled but over the years Sarah had learned the perfect way to distract her husband.

A knock on the door startled them both and they sat bolt upright, Sarah hastily smoothing her hair and repositioning her circlet- Jareth had commissioned it for her as a surprise for their wedding; as there had never been a Goblin Queen prior to Sarah she needed a symbol of office and a pendent like his would not be suitable- thus the delicate gold band with their royal symbol on the brow had been created.

"Enter" Jareth drawled

Lyra entered with a tall handsome man at her side. Both were dressed formally- Lyra in her court garb, a light weight black dress the skirts of which were made up of over lapping layers of dark yellow and orange gauze; and her companion in a dark red button down shirt and black trousers. Sarah repressed a smile they were dressed to match- this must be serious.

"Well met Sister" Jareth greeted her with a slight incline of his head

"Well met Brother, Sarah" Lyra returned with the customary shallow curtsey. "I come before you today to present my beau, Sirius Orion Black, former son of the Above"

Sirius Orion Black bowed at the mention of his name- Lyra must have drilled him of the protocol

"Well met Lord Black" Jareth cast an appraising eye over the mortal man

"Sire"

Sarah decided that she liked this man

"What are your intentions towards our sister?" Jareth asked, bluntly

"Naught but honourable" Sirius replied without hesitation. "You should know that I would sooner allow a Dementor to kiss me than hurt her"

What the hell was a Dementor?

"Dementors are demonic soulless creatures which guard the wizard prison of Azkaban" Lyra supplied. "They don't exist down here Sirius"

"Oh" was all Sirius said

All of a sudden the door burst open again and the twins came haring in with a harassed looking nanny hurrying along in their wake

"I'm sorry majesties" she said, panting slightly. "I took my eyes off them for no more than a second…"

"That's quite alright" Sarah smiled. "We would have been sending for the children anyway- they should meet our new guest"

"New guest mama?" Aeowyn looked up at her curiously- they didn't get a lot of guests, and wished aways were thin on the ground.

"Yes Wynnie, Air" Lyra answered for Sarah, catching both twins' attention. "I'd like you both to meet a very special friend of mine- this is Sirius."

"Hullo" Aeowyn managed a clumsy curtsey. "I'm Aeowyn- but you can call me Wyn"

"Hello princess" Sirius crouch before her and pressed a kiss to the back of her little hand

Airen was staring at Sirius as if he had three heads.

"Airen?" Sarah frowned; this wasn't normal behaviour for her son

Sirius took that moment to look at Airen and the spell the little boy was under seemed to break for he spoke, a strange word.

"Padfoot?"

~V~

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><p><strong><em>Great Scott! That was a long chapter<em>**

**_I can't promise an update in the next month as I'm gonna be swamped by Deadlines and A-Level revision :( But on the plus side when I'm over this hurdle I'll have about 12 weeks of s*dd all to get in my way so there'll be updates aplenty_**

**_But in the mean time- please let me know what you think of this latest chapter_**

**_Till Next Time... :)_**


	6. V:Frustrations and Questions

**_Hello again my friends, it has been too long._**

**_Thank you to everyone who has read, reviews, favourited and added this story to their alerts list :)_**

**_Now some review replies:_**

**_Adele365: Yes Airen remembers Padfoot- or does he? Read on and find out… ;)_**

**_Krynny: Aww you flatter me- thank you :)_**

**_Lightningwolf325: Does Airen remember Padfoot? You'll just have to read on and find out :P_**

**_TMNinjaGinga:Thanks, I hope you continue to enjoy my story :-)_**

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><p><em><strong>}<strong>__**Chapter Five**__**{**_

Sirius stood frozen- like a rabbit in the headlights. The world consisted of himself and a five year old Faerie boy. Airen's large dark green eyes were fixed upon him. He tried to compare this happy healthy little boy with the scrawny miserable teenager he had met after his escape from Azkaban; but the two were just too different.

"Padfoot" the little boy repeated

"Do you remember me?" Sirius asked

"Uh, I think so- you sometimes came to the little house with the pretty red lady and the man with things in front of his eyes" here he made circles with his fingers and put them over his eyes, like glasses. "They said I was… Harry?"

"He remembers James and Lily" Sirius murmured then addressed Airen again. "Yes, that's right- I'm Padfoot, do you remember anything else?"

"There was a nasty smell sometimes" Airen nodded. "When the worm man was there"

"Nasty smell?" Jareth cut in, curious. "Worm man?"

"Wormtail" Lyra growled softly, before remembering herself. "He's talking about an old _friend_ of ours- Peter Pettigrew- he sold out James and Lily to Voldemort"

"Who's Vole-de-mort?" Aeowyn asked reminding the rest of the room of her presence

"A very, very bad Wizard, princess" Sirius replied smoothly, his tone sombre- that monster had ruined his life.

"The man with the green light" Airen shuddered and a second later he was in his mother's arms, his face buried in her dark hair, Sarah wrapped her arms around him, and stroked his hair soothingly

Sirius looked at Lyra questioningly. "Accidental magic?"

"Did you think that it was exclusive to wizard children?" Lyra asked with a chuckle. "No, Fae children aren't born with control over their powers any more than mortal mages"

Sirius wanted to probe, to find out just how much his pseudo-godson remembered about his time as Harry Potter, but the little boy was terrified by the memory of Voldemort, however vague it may be. His mother had taken him and his sister away.

"So, Sirius Black" the Goblin King rose from his throne, his clothes changing to a less formal outfit of an open white poet's shirt, black waistcoat, tight grey trousers and black knee length boots. "What say you and I get to know each other, hmm?"

Sirius froze.

* * *

><p>Lyra hadn't seen her boyfriend all day- since Jareth had abducted him for some male bonding time. Unfortunately Jareth's idea of male bonding could include anything from a leisurely stroll or ride to a re-enactment of the Spanish Inquisition in one of the nastier Oubliettes. She sincerely hoped it was something akin to the former.<p>

The only benefit of Sirius' absence was that she had managed to get some more research done- over the past five years she'd been monitoring the situation in her own kingdom. She was searching for spells and potions which might help to dry out the uninhabitable swampland that Mizumi had turned her territory into. Thus far her results had proven fruitless. Frustrated by her seemingly useless project, the young Firey Queen slammed the ledger she'd been reading from and banished it back to the library and took herself down to the sword gallery to take her ire out on something inanimate.

* * *

><p>Sarah had finally got Airen to calm down; he had fallen asleep in her arms, exhausted from crying. She'd left Aeowyn in the Nursery, in their nanny's capable hands. She wanted answers and her sister in law was, most likely, the one to get them from.<p>

It didn't take long to find Lyra. When Sarah arrived in the sword gallery her sister in law had just lunged at one of the dummies and the blade of the sabre in her hand snapped, the top half remained lodged in the torso of the dummy.

"I don't know why you insist on using those mortal made swords to practice with" Sarah remarked.

"Because they are easier to fix than Sidhe blades, Sarah" Lyra pulled the broken blade from its resting place, closed her fist around the fractured ends and welded them together. "Now, what can I do for you?"

"Why does Arien call your boyfriend Padfoot?"

Lyra chuckled. "I thought it was going to be something difficult. Padfoot is an old nickname based on the animal form Sirius taught himself to assume while we were at school, a large black dog; Airen probably remembers it because his old foster father, James Potter was Sirius best friend- and the one who gave him the moniker. James rarely called him by his real name, thus Airen learned to think of Sirius as Padfoot."

"I have another question" Sarah announced. "This Voldemort...?"

Sarah didn't start worrying until Lyra turned her back upon her, shoulder's heaving.

"Bad business Sarah- Voldemort is depraved wizard who wanted nothing more than immortality. He killed without mercy; James and Lily, turned his attention on Airen for some reason"

A strangled cry escaped the goblin queen.

"I assure you Sarah I had no idea that they were at risk" Lyra didn't bother to wipe away the tears which were rolling down her cheeks. "The green light Airen mentioned was most likely the killing curse, which you must know that the Fae are immune to"

The silence between the two Queens was deafening- fortunately it didn't last long for a goblin scurried in with a message for Sarah.

"Queen, Princey screamy but not wake up"

* * *

><p>Sarah was so alarmed that she forgot about magic and ran from the gallery up to her son's side.<p>

There was a set of large sausage like fingers wrapped around his neck; he couldn't breathe; couldn't cry out to Mama, Papa or Auntie Lyra to help him. He couldn't even begin to loosen the hot red digits the tiniest bit. The strangler was yelling at him but what had he done?

"Papa" he whimpered as best he could, longing for his father to throw the nasty angry man into the Bog

"Papa?" the man sneered. "Idiot boy, you know that your parents are dead- that's the only reason your here, lumped on respectable folk like your aunt and I"

He closed his eyes, barely restraining his sobs and suddenly he found himself wrapped in a pair of strong warm arms.

"Airen, Airen shh" his mother's voice cooed, as she stroked his hair. "Hush now honey- mama's here"

~V~

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><p><em><strong>Sorry for it's shortness- I assure you that the next chapter will be nice and long<strong>_

_**Till then**_

_**Please R&R :-)**_


	7. VI: The Prophesy

**_Hello again my dear Readers- thank you for sticking with me :)_**

**_I'd like to thank everyone who read, reviewed, added this story to their favourites and or alerts lists since I last updated._**

**_This chapter is quite possibly the longest to date- enjoy :-)_**

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><p><em><strong>}<strong>__**Chapter Six**__**{**_

Once again the residents of the Castle beyond the Goblin City were torn from their slumber by the screams of terror coming from Prince Airen's bedchamber. Mere days after the Prince and Princess' sixth birthday little Airen had begun to suffer horrible nightmares. No potion the Healers could produce did anything to help the little boy. Each night it was left to his mother to hold him until he fell asleep again- thankfully the nightmares only tortured him once each night, a small mercy but a mercy non-the-less.

* * *

><p>Sarah ran into Airen's room to see him thrashing around on his bed- his limbs flailing as he struggled to escape from his dream-assailant.<p>

"Airen" she cooed. "Airen my love, wake up now, you're safe"

"Mama!" Airen screamed, still trapped in his nightmare. "Please, Mama"

"I'm here sweetheart" she promised. "Open your eyes my darling"

"Mama?" the little boy's voice was quiet now; his green eyes, dark with exhaustion, stared blearily up at her.

"You're safe" Sarah promised him. "You're home, in your own bed and mama is right here"

"I had a bad dream again" he announced solemnly, as he did every night, his eyes were surrounded by dark circles. "He beat me and locked me in a dark place"

"Who hurt you little one?" Sarah asked, she allowing him to crawl into her lap.

"I don't know" Airen told her, tears welling up in his eyes. "I kept calling for Papa but He kept saying that Papa was dead and that was why I was with resssp-spectical? people like them"

The Goblin Queen pulled her little boy into a comforting embrace, she kissed his feathery mane. "Do you mean respectable, Airen?"

Airen nodded, his black hair flopping into his eyes as he did so.

Sarah sighed and began to sing, an old lullaby that her father used to sing to her and by the end of the second verse Airen had fallen into a deep sleep.

"Sleep well my little prince" she murmured, kissing his pale brow and settling him back into his bed.

"Mama?" a tired little voice asked from the doorway which separated her bedchamber from her brother's. "Whassup with Air?"

"Just a nightmare baby girl, go back to sleep sweetheart"

Instead of doing as she was told the six year old princess padded over to her mother and climbed into her lap; snuggling into her warm arms.

Sarah rose and carried her daughter through to her own room.

* * *

><p>Jareth was waiting for her when they returned to their chambers- she relaxed in his arms and was just about to drift off when her husband asked.<p>

"Another nightmare?"

"Yes" she sighed. "It hurts to see him like this- these dreams are destroying him and I just feel so helpless- three months Jareth…"

"I know my Sarah" Jareth sighed. "I know, but I have not been idle my love- I have found someone who may be able to shed some light upon the cause of these nightmares"

"Who?"

"An Oracle, a wise woman- she has set up a home on the western border of the Labyrinth"

"But that's two days away?" the thought of leaving the twins again, even for a short while was odious to her

"Lyra and Sirius will take care of them, pet" Jareth told her- in years past she would have thought he was reading her mind but she knew her husband, and he knew her. They were close enough to read each other like open books. "We will be away five days at the most"

How she wished she could argue- claim that she would rather stay at the castle but she was a mother first and foremost and would traverse the circles of Hades for her babes.

"When do we leave?"

* * *

><p>They didn't manage to leave until two days later. That first day; not ten minutes before they were due to leave their came a summons. The goblins returned with a small child with badly cut hair, ill-fitting, dirty clothes and a worrying greenish-grey tinge to his skin.<p>

The runner; a young woman dressed in a very small white skirt, pink tube top, covered with a faux fur jacket. Her legs were covered with fish net stockings and stupidly high heeled shoes. She had peroxide blond hair, three inches of makeup and carrying a reek of cheap alcohol. She didn't get very far, after flirting shamelessly with Jareth. The woman had given up after half an hour- when she'd freaked out when the worm has said '_Ello_' to her.

They left at dawn the next day- leaving two unhappy six year olds and their kingdom in Lyra's care.

* * *

><p>As predicted they arrived on the western border of the Labyrinth two days later. The Oracle's Hovel was horrible- overgrown with nettles and brambles, studded with long vicious looking thorns- except for the narrow pathway into the creature's abode.<p>

Sarah winced, disgusted.

Jareth squeezed her hand. "I know, but remember why we are doing this"

That was when a rasping voice came from within the hovel.

"Who comes?"

"You know very well who we are" Jareth responded

There was a pause and then…

"Enter Goblin Majesties" the Oracle called from inside her hovel.

Jareth and Sarah looked at each other

"For Airen" Jareth squeezed her hand

"For Airen" she agreed and together they walked into the small dwelling.

Inside the Hovel was dark, dingy and claustrophobic- it was furnished with a small single bed and a fire; seated in the middle of the floor was a Sprite, mostly hidden in the folds of a tent like garment, her hair was matted and she surveyed them with scrutinizing acid yellow eyes.

Sarah was reminded of Master Yoda from _Star Wars_- under other circumstances she would have laughed.

Jareth bowed slightly and addressed the Oracle in her own tongue- Sarah only recognized a few words of the conversation. Finally the creature motioned for them to sit with her.

"You come about your son; and the nightmares which have begun to plague him" she spoke in heavily accented Gobbledygook.

"Do you know why he has these dreams?" Jareth asked

"Aye" she nodded. "But I doubt the answer will ease your minds"

"Tell us" Sarah requested. "We need to know"

The Oracle drew out a long clay pipe and took a drag, exhaling a ring of foul smelling bottle green smoke.

"There is a prophesy surrounding the little Prince" the Oracle told the King and Queen. "A Prophesy binding his Highness to the Wizarding World Above- he was marked by the Dark Lord Voldemort on the night he fell."

"Marked?" Sarah gasped remembering the lightning bolt shaped blemish which had marred her baby boy's smooth brow when he had been returned to them five years earlier. "Jareth! The curse scar…! On his forehead..."

Jareth stroked her back comfortingly, he was as worried as she was; he knew that Albus Dumbledore had an unhealthy interest in his son and his whereabouts. "Do you know the contents of this Prophesy?"

* * *

><p>Night had fallen by the time they returned to the castle and Sarah excused herself almost instantly, claiming exhaustion. Jareth kissed her cheek and left her to it, while he and Lyra went to his study to discuss an issue which had arisen- in the Fireys' forest.<p>

Admittedly she did not wish to sleep- tired as she was from the two days in her owl form- she wanted to see her children.

Aeowyn lay, sucking her thumb (a habit she professed to have outgrown) cuddling her favourite teddy bear; in a deep and peaceful sleep her black hair spread across her pillows. After dropping a kiss on her daughter's brow, Sarah moved to check on Airen, whom she could already hear whimpering.

* * *

><p>Sarah stood in the doorway of her son's bedroom, arms folded and a light frown on her face- she couldn't sleep and had returned unconsciously; only two days hence she and Jareth had been told that it was Airen's fate to destroy the Dark Wizard Voldemort. Airen would have to learn the ways of Mortal Wizardry- Harry Potter; (<em>the Boy Who Lived<em>) would have to return to the wizards who had essentially stolen him from them for eleven years. The Oracle had told them that the whole of the Wizarding world would see nothing but the Myth created six years ago. She didn't want to send him away but as she had no choice she would prefer somewhere that they knew something about- and that meant Hogwarts.

"Sarah" Jareth's voice was quiet and close. "Are you alright, precious?"

"Why him?" she asked, not taking her eyes off Airen, even as Jareth wrapped his arms around her comfortingly. "Why our son? They won't leave him alone"

"I know my love, I do not like this anymore than you do" Jareth replied. "But I do not want to think about the consequences of ignoring this prophesy."

Sarah shuddered, ignoring the prophesy could plunge the whole of the magical world into chaos in as few as five years.

"Worry not darling" Jareth seemed to read her mind. "He will not go through this alone- he has his Aunt and Uncles to teach him what he needs to know about the Wizarding world. They have more intimate knowledge on this than we"

"I still don't like it" Sarah sighed.

* * *

><p>The issue of the Prophesy binding Airen to the Wizarding World could go no further until the fifth member of their small council arrived. Toby was now seventeen and in his final year at Hogwarts, with a bright future as CEO of Gringotts ahead of him. Jareth had manipulated Dumbledore into allowing Toby a week's leave- it was amazing what the threat of the Bog could do (even if it was all inside the dreams of a mortal)<p>

Toby's arrival was not one moment too soon. He was allowed a day to reacquaint himself with his home and the twins but on the second day he was present in the council chambers to be made aware of the contents of the prophesy.

The goblin king summoned a crystal and bid it recite the damnable verse that tied Airen to the Façade of Harry Potter.

_"The one with the power to vanquish the Dark Lord approaches..._

_born to those who have thrice defied him, _

_born as the seventh month dies..._

_and the Dark Lord will mark him as his equal,_

_but he will have power the Dark Lord knows not..._

_and either must die at the hand of the other_

_for neither can live while the other survives... _

_the one with the power to vanquish the Dark Lord_

_will be born as the seventh month dies..."_

There was silence as the deep harsh voice of the prophet faded. It was Toby who broke the silence.

"The Prophesy doesn't fit him though" he remarked. "I know that the twins were born at the end of July, and that Voldie marked Air with that curse scar- but you and Sarah haven't ever defied Voldemort, have you?"

"Voldemort is only part of the Wizarding world- he does not know of our world- to his mind Airen is Harry Potter, son of James and Lily Potter, a couple who _did_ defy him thrice" Jareth replied, pulling Sarah into his arms and rubbing her back to comfort her; she had gone an alarming shade of grey- this was not a topic that the Goblin Queen liked, but she wasn't prepared to sit on the side lines while her son's future was hanging in the balance (Jareth, for his part, couldn't be more proud of her).

"So, because James and Lily died before the end of the war down here the whole of the Wizarding world _still_ believes that they really did have a son called Harry?" Sirius asked, for clarification.

"It seems that way" Jareth nodded gravely.

"And is that why I couldn't remember Airen when I first came here?" The formerly human wizard asked, addressing his girlfriend. "Because I was just a part of the Wizarding world?"

"Albus Dumbledore is an accomplished leglimens" Lyra announced ignoring her partner. "If Airen is indeed their chosen one, therefore to attend Hogwarts then you should give him training in mental defence- if we don't it will be all the harder to keep our little man out of the old git's control."

"What's a Leglimens?" Sarah asked confused

"Essentially he's a mind reader" Lyra clarified. "Rumour has it that Voldemort is/was one too"

"My baby boy amongst mind reading wizards?" Sarah was not a happy Faerie

"That is why both twins shall be trained in defence of all ways- mental, physical and magical, my love" Jareth took his Queen in his arms. "I say both as I highly doubt that Aeowyn will sit by while this prophesy hangs over her brother's head. It is safe to bet that both of the twins will play a role in the destruction of this so called Dark Lord's downfall."

* * *

><p>The meeting went on late into the afternoon and, when it was finally adjourned Lyra was the first to leave, she'd been called away to deal with an issue which had arisen within her subjects. Toby and Sarah had left to spend time with the twins. Jareth was just about to leave too when Sirius spoke.<p>

"May I have a word in private your majesty?" Over the past year Sirius had only ever adhered to formalities when the need arose.

"Certainly Lord Black" the Goblin King instantly transported them to his study. "What can I do for you?"

"Uh" Sirius had been thinking about this occasion for years (dreams of a future with Lyra were part of what kept him sane whilst in Azkaban). "Well, while you and Sarah were travelling to see the Oracle, I took a trip to the High courts to ask your dad if I could marry your sister- he said that as she lived in your kingdom you were the one to ask… so…?"

"You seek my permission to marry Lyra?" Jareth repeated

"Yes" he nodded. "I've loved your sister for years…"

"Say no more" Jareth interrupted, thrilled to have something to distract him from this grim business with his son and the prophesy. "I would be honoured to accept you into the O'Malley clan. I trust you have a ring?"

"Of course"

"Then what in the Underground are you still doing in here? Go and propose to my sister"

~V~

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><p><em><strong>Aww Padfoot's going to propose :)<strong>_

_**Let me know what you think of this latest chapter- please leave a contribution in the little box-**_


	8. VII: Padfoot's Proposal

**_I'm not dead_**

**_I am so very sorry for yet another tremendous delay and this time unfortunately the chapter is only quite short_**

**_I was asked in a review why I had chosen 'O'Malley' for the surname and my response is this: I looked up Irish surnames which meant 'King' and the name 'Ryan' came up as an English translation of 'ó Maoilriain'. I thought that O'Malley sounded like a logical shortened version of that so, there you are._**

**_As usual my thanks to everyone who took the time to read, review, favourite and or add this to their story alerts :)_**

**_And now, without further waffle..._**

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><p><em><strong>}<strong>__**Chapter Seven**__**{**_

It was late by the time Lyra returned to the castle.

She'd gone out to the forest to find her subjects in the midst of what appeared to be a pre-mating frenzy. This had scared her slightly; the Fireys hadn't had a successful mating season since before the war. When she'd finally managed to put out all of the fires that her very horny subjects had started and erected wards to keep the damage to her brother's kingdom to a minimum the sun had set and the young Queen was tired.

The first thing she did on returning to her chambers was to call Felicia to draw her a bath; lay out her oldest, most comfortable, least flattering, nightwear and bring her some hot chocolate.

After her long term maid-come-confidante had disappeared to do what she was told, Lyra flopped into her favourite chair (she'd created it herself, it was an exact replica of the chair she'd favoured by the fire in the Common room at Hogwarts), her mind buzzing.

The only reason she'd ended up at Hogwarts was because she'd been born Aboveground, near enough to Hogwarts castle for the magic in her blood to register within with the school. Airen was to attend Hogwarts because his of his former foster parents, but there was no reason for him to attend for the full seven years; if there was a way to bring about Voldemort's demise before her nephew came of age in the Wizarding world.

"Your Majesty… Lyra" Lyra's eyes snapped open to find her maid standing over her. "Your bath is ready"

"Thank you my friend" the young Queen smiled and adjourned to her bathroom

With a contented moan Lyra lowered herself in the hot water. Felicia had used orange blossom to scent the water, (her favourite flower). She was, she realized in the mood for a little Aboveground classical music so with a wave she had the gentle strains of a Mozart sonata playing quietly in the air.

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><p>Felicia slipped out of her Mistress' rooms after delivering her hot chocolate and tapped on Lord Black's door.<p>

"Who is it?" a groggy voice called

"Felicia, Milord"

The door promptly opened and a suddenly wide awake Lord Black appeared. "She's back?"

Felicia nodded, she remembered her Queen in the years between the end of the war and the day that the formerly mortal Lord came to the castle; Lyra had been a mere shadow of the woman she had been since this man had come back into her life.

"Her majesty is bathing"

Lord Black nodded. "Have you got what I asked for?"

Felicia smiled and produced from the folds of her skirt a bottle of wine and two crystal flutes. "White grape and blackberry wine circa the Aboveground year 1297; Her Majesty's favourite vintage.

Lord Black smiled his thanks.

* * *

><p>As soon as Felicia left him, Sirius slipped across to Lyra's rooms and slipped inside.<p>

Lyra was still in the bathroom, if the music issuing from within was any indication- something by a long dead Muggle Composer whose name eluded him. Sirius waved his hand (no longer needing a wand really was wonderfully liberating) and a bucket of ice appeared, he stood the wine in it, turned into Padfoot and curled up on Lyra's sofa to wait for the love of his life.

* * *

><p>Lyra dried her hair with a wave of her hand, taming the streaked tresses into a long plait and pulled her pyjamas on. The cup which had contained her hot chocolate had been banished back to the kitchens and she exited the bathroom.<p>

"Hello Lyra"

The Queen of the Fireys whirled round, arming herself with a flick of her wrist, but relaxed when she found herself facing her boyfriend

"Danu, Sirius" she glowered at him, banishing the dagger she'd conjured. "Do you have a death wish man? I thought you were an assassin"

Sirius laughed. "Lyra, love, what kind of assassin announces himself?"

The queen ignored him "What are you doing in my chambers?"

"I came to ask you something" he moved forwards and pulled her into his embrace. "But first, a peace offering"

At her curious look he gestured to the wine and glasses. "Felicia told me it was your favourite- white grape and blackberry"

"Does my brother know you have that bottle?" she asked. "It's one of the most valuable of his collection"

"Can't see him minding to be honest" Sirius shrugged, filling the two glasses and handing one to her. "To us?"

Lyra clinked her glass against his. "To us"

"You do know I love you Lyra?" Sirius queried, suddenly

"Of course" she was under the impression that they were courting

"Well then" he took the glass from her, and kissed her. "As I have absolutely no idea of the Underground customs involving what I'm about to do, so I'll go with the Aboveground ones"

So saying he dropped down on one knee and presented her with a small velvet lined box.

"_Oh Danu!_" she gasped, remembering the last time she'd seen something like this, when James had asked Lily to marry him. "Sirius…?"

"Lyra o'Ma… moa…" he faltered, struggling over her ancestral clan name

"ó Maoilriain" she corrected, deciding to take pity on the poor man- there was a reason why they went by 'O'Malley' she was touched by his attempt at her family name, even if she wasn't sure where he'd heard it.

"Yes that" Sirius chuckled, self-depreciatingly. "I've been in love with you for years now, and I can't see my life without you- will you marry me?"

Now Lyra had never been the overly romantic type but the moment that Sirius proposed to her thousands of insufferably fluffy responses warred to be the one she chose. Instead she chose to kneel down in front of him, kiss him softly and whisper one word in his ear.

"Yes"

~V~

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><p><em><strong>Once again I apologize for the shortness of the chapter. The next chapter will look at the wedding and its arrangements :)<strong>_

_**I'd like your opinion on an important matter- Remus. I'm torn on exactly when I want to bring him into the picture.**_

_**I couldn't possibly allow Sirius to have any best man other than everybody's favourite werewolf in the absence of James Potter, would you guys like to see Sirius and Remus patch things up early (from Remus' perspective at least)?**_

_**Let me know what you think**_


	9. VIII: Remus

**_Once again I can only apologize for the delay- this is a nice long chapter to make up for it (nearly six pages of Microsoft 2010)_**

**_Thank you so much for everyone who has reviewed or added this story to favourites or alerts, and now, without further ado- I give you..._**

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><p><em><strong>}<strong>__**Chapter Eight**__**{**_

The news of the Firey Queen's engagement to the former mortal, Lord Black, set the rumour mill into action (just as it had when her brother had wed the Lady of the Labyrinth). But the happy couple didn't seem to care- after all, there _was_ no pressing biological need for the union.

No indeed; the day after the proposal Lyra handed her new fiancé over to her brother for lessons in kingcraft- she and her sister in law of course had a wedding to plan.

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><p>"Well Sarah" Lyra remarked, throwing down her quill and closing the ledger she'd written the wedding plans in. "I think that's done- all I need do now is run them past Sirius and ask him who he wants as best man."<p>

It had taken the two queens and a team of jobs-worth wedding planners sent by the high king and queen two whole months to plan, and Sirius still had no idea of what to expect.

"Well, there's no time like the present" Sarah noted, rising and heading to the door. "I'm going to see how the twins are doing in their lessons"

Airen and Aeowyn seemed to have taken to their more intensive lesson timetable like fairies to a flower garden; it didn't stop their doting parents from making regular inspections of their progress though.

"I'll go and rescue my man from yours then" Lyra flashed the younger woman a grin before vanishing into thin air.

* * *

><p>Sirius had not been so bored since History of Magic during his Hogwarts days. Alright so his future brother in law was a far better teacher than Binns had ever been, but there were some things that not even the best teachers could make interesting- Kingcraft, it seemed, was one of them.<p>

"Pardon me brother" Lyra's voice from the study doorway was a welcome relief. "But I need to steal my fiancé- if you don't mind"

Sirius rose and moved to his bride-to-be's side. She greeted him with a kiss, and transported them both to her private chambers. Felicia was just finishing laying the table for their lunch date.

"That will be all Felicia- we don't need service" Lyra dismissed her maid. "I'll call upon you when we're finished here"

"Yes Your Majesty" Felicia curtseyed and left.

As Sirius poured them both a glass of the wine they'd been served Lyra mulled over the best way to broach the subject which had been weighing on her mind for the past few days.

"Knut for 'em?"

She flinched at the sound of her fiancé's voice. "Pardon me?"

"A Knut for your thoughts love" he smirked. "What's on your mind?"

The direct approach was probably best- like a mortal removing a sticking plaster.

"Sirius I want Remus to be involved in our wedding"

Sirius' reaction was a heavy sigh. "So do I Lyra. But that's impossible"

"Why?" she asked

"Because he won't believe that I'm an innocent man until the summer of Airen's third year at Hogwarts." He took a swig of his drink whilst running his free hand through his hair. "At this point Aboveground Moony still thinks I was the one who betrayed James and Lily"

"Sirius these things are not set in stone" Lyra announced. "You cannot tell me that you don't want the last of the Marauders to be your best man"

"You know I'd like nothing better"

"Then I'll find him, this afternoon" she announced decidedly. "And we shall prove your innocence to him"

"You'll find him?"

"Yes" Lyra nodded as their meal, a generous portion of spaghetti bolognaise, appeared before each of them. "After all, you still need practice when it comes to hearing grievances"

"You're cruel"

"I am a Fae monarch darling" she gave him a smirk that her brother would be proud of. "You'll find that it comes with the territory."

* * *

><p>It was approaching two by the time Lyra left Sirius to his task. She transported herself back to her study and summoned a handful of flames in one hand.<p>

"Show me Remus" the Firey Queen bid it.

The flames became transparent and showed her a small dilapidated building on the edge of a dense forest. Lyra was shocked. Why was Remus forced to live in such conditions? She had never understood the mortal mages' contempt for magical beings that were not human. Werewolves seldom, if ever, asked to be bitten; and then there was the recent development of wolfsbane potion- Lycanthropes could be fully functioning members of Wizarding society if they were just given the chance.

Shaking her head she dissipated the flames and vanished, ready for a reunion with Remus John Lupin.

* * *

><p>He was patching his robes, <em>again,<em> when there came a knock on his front door. Who was stupid enough to visit him on the day before a full moon? Remus' sharp noes twitched and he caught the scent of a person he hadn't seen since before the world fell apart.

Lyra O'Malley.

She was still alive. Remus smiled and set aside his darning as he went to see his old friend.

* * *

><p>The scratched wooden door of Remus' current abode opened suddenly to reveal the werewolf. Lyra took a fraction of a second to look him over- the years had not been very kind to him.<p>

"Lyra" Remus rasped, his hoarse voice reminding her that he was probably in some quite considerable pain with the moon being in the Phase that it was.

"Remus old friend" Lyra embraced the werewolf. "It's been far too long"

"Nearly seven years" Remus nodded, hugging her back. "And you haven't aged a day"

"One of the perks of being Fae. I only wish that the years had been as kind to you"

"Well things haven't been easy since James and Lily… you do know about that?"

"Aye" Lyra nodded. "We have been keeping abreast of the goings on in the Wizarding world"

"We?" he repeated, arching an eyebrow

"My family- my brother, his wife, my fiancé and I" Lyra clarified

"Fiancé?" Remus echoed. "You're getting married?"

"Aye" she held up her hand, showing Remus the ring Sirius had given her when he'd proposed. "That's the reason I came to you- we, my fiancé and I would like you to be involved in the wedding. What say you?"

"Oh" the werewolf blinked. "I'd like that, would I get to see your home?"

"But of course- you need to meet my family before the wedding" she nodded. "Have you anything to stop you from coming now?"

"Nothing except the moon"

She laughed at that. "That's not going to be a problem- werewolves originated in the Underground you'll be able to control your transformations whilst there"

"I won't be forced to transform just because the moon's full?" he repeated

Lyra nodded. "And you needn't take anything with you; we can provide everything you might need"

"Then what in the name of Merlin's leopard print posing pouch are we waiting for"

"Absolutely nothing" she grinned, offering her hand which he took after a moment's consideration. Lyra flicked her free wrist and the two friends disappeared.

* * *

><p>Remus Lupin had never felt as powerful in his human body as he did when they arrived in Lyra's home. They were stood on a hill overlooking a vast sprawling labyrinth.<p>

"This is my current home the Goblin Kingdom" she told him. "My brother's domain- that's his castle over there"

Remus looked at the castle in the distance. "Goblins"

"Don't think of the ones who run Gringotts, the ones who reside in the Underground are not the smartest of creatures, but most of them are extremely friendly" Lyra gave him an appraising look. "If you don't mind me saying, Mr Moony, the Underground suits you"

"What?"

"You'll see what I mean when we come to a mirror, now come on you really should change before you meet any of my family" she motioned for him to follow her and led the way into the labyrinth.

Half an hour later they arrived outside a door.

"This is my fiancé's suite; its empty at present and he won't mind you borrowing some of his clothes- don't worry about the sizing, they'll adjust to fit you"

She waved away his thanks and practically pushed him through the door.

* * *

><p>Lyra smiled slightly as Remus shut the door behind himself. The Underground really did suit him; in the short time he'd been in the realm, his scarring had begun to fade, and he looked rather less tired- the bags under his eyes had gone and his hair was as full, thick and sandy as it had been during their school days.<p>

He wouldn't yet be able to make the Underground his permanent home, not until Airen was free of the Prophecy, but there was nothing to stop him from spending full moons Underground- but she was getting ahead of herself; she needed to get Remus and Sirius through their reunion before they got anywhere near such possibilities.

She shook her head and asked a passing Goblin to tell Sirius to meet her outside his chambers.

* * *

><p>Remus stared at his reflection, shocked by how healthy he looked. He tore his attention away from the mirror and cast his gaze over the clothes in Lyra's fiancé's wardrobe; eventually he chose a white shirt, black trousers and a dark blue crushed velvet jacket. As Lyra had promised the clothes adjusted to fit him as he donned them, once he was satisfied that he looked presentable he left the suite and found Lyra stood waiting for him.<p>

"Much better" the Fae woman nodded in approval. "Blue is a good colour for you"

"Yeah Moony" a horribly familiar voice remarked from a short way down the hallway they were standing in. "Prongs and I always said you could have been a Ravenclaw, remember Lyra?"

Remus turned sharply and found himself mere yards away from Sirius Black, dressed in a similar way to him, only his shirt was red and his jacket was black leather. He snarled and lunged at Black, who made no movement apart from to splay his hand moments before Remus reached him- some sort of shield charm springing up between them.

"Black" Remus growled, struggling against the magical barrier which separated him from the traitor and Lyra who had passed through the shield to stand beside him. "How the hell did you get out of Azkaban? Why wasn't your escape reported?"

"That's a long story Remus" Black told him calmly. "And I'll tell you everything if you promise to hear me out and keep an open mind"

Remus glared at Black- Black maintained eye contact, unflinching.

"Very well" the werewolf nodded.

At his word the barrier fell. Remus stumbled slightly but his heightened senses kicked in and he quickly righted himself.

"Follow me- and we can take this little chat to a more comfortable location" Lyra led the way to her private sitting room. When the two men were seated, she positioned herself between them a neutral position in order to act as mediator should things become turbulent.

"Alright Black" Remus watched the Animagus carefully. "What's the story?"

"Remus, you need to understand that I wasn't James and Lily's secret keeper" he began picking his words carefully. "They wanted me to be- me being Air-ah Harry's Godfather, but I thought I was too obvious a choice. I convinced them to change to _Wormtail_"

Sirius spat Peter's nickname as if it were poison.

"I spent twelve years in Azkaban because of that backstabbing little coward"

"Twelve years?" Remus echoed, confused. "But it has only been five- I don't understand"

Lyra and Sirius exchanged a glance, before Sirius continued. "The year I escaped Azkaban was 1993 two years later I fell through a mirror in the Department of Mysteries during a duel with my _dearest cousin_ Bellatrix- the next thing I know I'm lying on top of the love of my life in 1985"

"You expect me to believe that?" Remus asked

"Just look at me" Sirius said with a wry smile. "I'm a good ten years older than you"

This was true- Sirius did indeed appear to be in his mid-thirties. "How is that possible Padfoot?"

"It's a long story- one that we'll tell you before the wedding" Sirius replied beaming at the use of his nickname. "So you believe that I'm innocent then?"

"Forgive me for doubting you"

"Only if you forgive me for thinking you were the spy"

"Seems fair"

An awkward silence fell over the room.

"Well darling?" Lyra sat back, breaking the silence, folding her arms and looking pointedly at Sirius. "Haven't you got something to ask Remus?"

"Moony, I'd be honoured if you'd be best man at our Wedding, will you?"

"I'd be honoured to be your best man Padfoot"

Sirius pounced on Remus, hugging him like the brothers they were.

~V~

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><p><strong><em>In the next chapter- Remus meets the rest of the family, and then there's the wedding<em>**

**_Until then, leave me a review to let me know how I'm doing_**

**_BTW: what house should I put Dudley in? I'm thinking either Hufflepuff or Slytherin. What do you guys think?_**


	10. IX:Wedding

_**I must apologize for keeping you waiting for so long.**_

_**Ok, so I lied I'm just giving you the wedding.**_

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><p><em><strong>}Chapter Nine{<strong>_

Remus stood beside Sirius before an arch that resembled the one James and Lily had married under. He had never been a best man before; in fact he'd only been to one wedding in his adult life- James and Lily's. True he had been invited to several but people did seem to enjoy holding weddings on the full moon. He had been in the Underground for little over a week now and would have to return to the Aboveground before too long to avoid arousing Dumbledore's suspicion.

"Uncle Moony?"

Remus flinched at the sound of little Aeowyn's voice at his hip. She had taken to calling him Uncle Moony, following the example of her twin brother. Remus had been shocked that the boy who hadn't seen him since he was fifteen months old remembered who he was.

"Yes, Wynnie?" he asked the little bridesmaid; she wore a white dress and hand a band of yellow flowers on her messy black hair

"Mama asked me to ask if it's time yet." She reported

Jareth's voice from behind made him start. "Ah Wyn sweetling, is your aunt ready now?"

"Yes Papa," the child nodded. "Mama sent me."

"Then tell mama that its time to start then."

"Yes Papa," Aeowyn vanished

Remus turned to Jareth,

"Shouldn't you be with Lyra?" he asked the man who was soon to be Sirius' brother in law in a whisper.

Lyra and Jareth's father's lack of interest in his daughter's wedding didn't sit well with Remus, but nobody seemed to mind.

"I must conduct the ceremony," was the equally quiet response. "Though I wish I could walk her down the aisle, she is in the capable hands of this kingdom's most valiant knight."

At that moment a fan fair broke out and Sirius, who had been strangely quiet all day turned; along with everyone else in the throne room, toward the entrance to the garden that was serving as the wedding venue.

Airen and Aeowyn, pageboy and bridesmaid respectively, were the first to enter; followed by Queen Sarah and her brother, young Toby; and finally the bride entered.

Lyra was walking by the side of a diminutive fox with an eye patch who was riding an Old English Sheep dog. She looked stunning, in a simple white gown that pooled around her feet as she moved with no sleeves or veil. Her hair fanned out behind her untamed apart from the fire flowers woven through the highlighted black tresses- her hands were covered in long white fingerless gloves that rose to her elbows.

As Lyra reached Sirius, Remus noticed the same soft smile on the former human's face as James had worn when he'd seen Lily in her wedding dress. Remus moved to sit with the other members of the wedding party as bride and groom joined hands before Jareth. The Goblin King placed a hand on his sister and her bridegroom's heads and began to sing.

Remus' curiosity must have been written upon his face because Sarah whispered in his ear. "It's a traditional prayer of blessing."

Following this blessing Airen and Aeowyn rose and approached their father, aunt and uncle each carrying a wreath of red, yellow and white roses. Jareth took the wreaths in turn and sang another song over each. He placed the first on Lyra's head and the second on Sirius'.

Lyra and Sirius released each other's hands and stood facing each other, eyes shut. Fire engulfed both of them; shrouding them completely from view.

"That's the sign of their magic bonding," Sarah told him. "The vows come next."

The fire extinguished itself just as suddenly as it had flared up.

"Sirius, take Lyra's hand," Jareth instructed; when he did so the Goblin King carried on. "Dost thou, Sirius born of the Aboveground house Black take this woman as thy wife and queen? To love honour and obey as long as thou both shalt live?

"I do," Sirius nodded

A golden band similar to that of an unbreakable vow coiled around the clasped hands. Jareth turned to Lyra.

"Dost thou, Lyra, Queen of the Fireys take this man to be thine husband and consort? To love honour and obey for as long as thou both shalt live?"

"I do" Lyra nodded and a second golden band coiled around the joined hands.

Jareth put his hands on top of his sister and new brother in law's hands and sang another blessing. When he had finished the golden bands had vanished

"Then with the power vested in me as Goblin King and High Prince of the Underground I hereby pronounce you man and wife; King and Queen- Sirius, you may kiss your bride."

Sirius didn't need to be told twice.

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><p><em><strong>Not the best thing I've ever written, sorry.<strong>_

_** Only one more chapter before Airen starts Hogwarts now- and its gonna be a long one. Please keep your votes for the House you want Dudley to end up in coming folks**_

_**and I'll see you next time**_

_**MV**_


	11. X: And So It Begins

_**Honestly I have no excuse for how long it's been since I last updated this- so I won't give one. I am very sorry for how long this next chapter has taken and must thank you for not giving up on me.**_

_**}Chapter Ten{**_

Time is, by all accounts, a funny thing. Sometimes it drags its metaphorical feet and other times it likes to slip past you and leave you to wonder where it has gone. The four years that separated little prince Airen from the Harry James Potter sped by at an alarming rate.

* * *

><p>The Goblin King was worried. Airen would be leaving for Hogwarts in less than a season; all they needed to prepare him for his upcoming quest was the letter of acceptance, unfortunately that was currently in Headmaster Dumbledore's hands. Inspiration hit like a spit ball from a goblin pea-shooter. He rose and went looking for his baby sister.<p>

He found her walking in the wild garden, tossing an apple from hand to hand.

"Hello Jareth," she greeted him, without turning to him.

"Lyra, would you do me a favour sister?" Jareth asked.

"Certainly brother," Lyra nodded, turning and taking a bite out of her apple. "As long as this favour doesn't involve my husband or myself doing anything… _derogatory._"

"Perish the thought sister dear," Jareth assured her. "I simply wish to send your old post owl to collect my son's acceptance letter."

"My post owl?" Lyra laughed, thinking of the tired old creature which had served her well for years, it was well past time for the bird to retire. "Oh my dear brother I can offer you far better than that."

"Oh?" the blonde king arched an eyebrow. "Do tell?"

"I have a spy within Dumbledore's inner sanctum," she replied with a smirk to rival his own. "I have a phoenix stationed within his chambers."

"Lyra," Jareth beamed proudly. "I could kiss you."

"Oh Danu, please no," Lyra quipped, before promptly returning to the matter at hand. "I shall see to it that my noble subject arrives within the week."

"Excellent," Jareth smiled.

"Now brother, if you'll excuse me, I have to hear Grievances, full moon is upon us once more and Sirius and Remus are going hunting," with that she strode from the garden.

* * *

><p>As Lyra promised her spy arrived before seven days had passed. He stayed only long enough to drop the parchment envelope onto his Queen's lap and trill something that only Lyra seemed able to understand.<p>

"Thank you my friend," she nodded when the bird had finished its speech. "You serve your queen well- go now before the old fool misses you."

The bird shrieked and flew out the way he came.

* * *

><p>The next day Sarah was to take her son to Diagon Alley to purchase his supplies for his first year; Jareth and Lyra had been called away by their father. She was just donning her cloak when Aeowyn skidded into the Jareth's study where she and Airen were waiting.<p>

"Mama may I come too?" She asked when she'd composed herself. "Please?"

"No Wyn," Sarah answered; she'd known that this was coming- Airen and Aeowyn were not easy to separate; where one went the other usually followed. "It will be hard enough keeping one hyperactive eleven year old in check, as well as remembering to call your brother _Harry._"

Aeowyn and Airen exchanged a dark glance- Airen made no secret of his desire to remain in the Underground with his family but both knew that he had to go to Hogwarts to fulfil his destiny as the wizard who was to vanquish the Dark Lord Voldemort.

"I promise I'll behave mother," She pleaded, making puppy dog eyes at her mother. "Please please please."

"It'd be way less boring if Wyn came along Mama." Airen agreed, nodding emphatically, bringing his own puppy eyes to his sister's aid.

"Very well," Sarah relented, rolling her eyes. "Fetch your cloak then."

Aeowyn crowed and flicked her wrist, her cloak appearing in her hand.

* * *

><p>The Gringotts Goblins didn't seem the least bit bothered by the arrival of a beautiful dark haired woman and two attractive dark haired children from the CEO's office. The wizard employees and customers however…<p>

Griphook bowed to her- greeting her in Gobbledygook.

"As you were Griphook," the woman answered evidently understanding the tongue. "My son's Hogwarts letter arrived last morning and I am taking him to buy his school supplies."

* * *

><p>Airen exchanged a bored glance with his sister as he stood on a dressmaker's stool. Although both had lots of experience at fittings such as this, generally the company was better. Airen was not the only boy being fitted for his school uniform; a ferrety boy with blonde hair which appeared to have been glued to his scalp stood on a second stool.<p>

The boy seemed to be the elitist type; the sort who had been raised to believe that just because his family had been Wizarding since time immemorial that he was better than someone whose blood was newer to the Wizarding community. Airen wondered, with some amusement what the boy would think if he knew he was annoying three members of _the_ oldest dynasty in the Underground.

The rest of the shopping didn't take long at all; Sarah covertly transported all of her son's new school supplies directly to the castle and before long all that remained was the need to visit the wandsmith. The interior of the wandsmith's shop was a reservoir of stagnant magic. Sarah, as a Changeling Fae rather than one born of the ancient race was rather less affected by it than her two ten year old children; who were left twitching as it reacted with their own; she knew though that if they didn't return to the Underground soon then the twins _could_ cause a lot of damage.

Aeowyn's long slender fingers curled around the handle of one of the many wands which Airen had discarded and a rush of warmth spread through her from her magical core and into the wand; binding the stick to her own magic. She raised it above her head in the way she'd been watching her brother do it for the past half hour. A trail of silvery blue sparks was left in the wand's wake as she brought it down in an arc to the level of her hip.

"Wonderful," the smith, Mr Olivander exclaimed. "Mrs O'Malley your daughter seems to have discovered her wand- thirteen inches willow, with a highly unique core; Powdered dream essence- an experimental core left over from the days of my apprenticeship. It would take a very gifted witch to tame this wand."

"Papa did say I would be needing a wand Mama," Aeowyn reminded her mother, innocently stroking the magic channel that she had just bound to herself- she knew that Harry was waiting for the stick which Fawkes the phoenix had unwittingly helped to create- Uncle Padfoot said that that had been Harry Potter's wand. "Even if it's only Harry going to Hogwarts,"

At the sound of the Boy Who Lived's name, Olivander was off climbing shelves again and this time came back with a dusty box. "I wonder…"

So it was, five minutes later both Aeowyn and Airen left the shop, a wand box tucked neatly under their arm. Sarah hurried them back up the street to the bank.

"Alright you two," Sarah said, catching the twins by the shoulder before they had chance to give into the stagnant power that had built up inside of both of them during their time in the wand-smith's shop. "Home before you blow something up."

And they vanished, leaving nothing but the echo of the twin's whines of annoyance echoing on the summer breeze.

* * *

><p><em>Dear <em>_Mr__ Dumbledore,_

_Caught up with the Dursleys and given young Dudley his letter but no sign of Harry. The Muggles didn't seem to know where Harry is. Taking Dudley and his mother to buy his school things tomorrow,_

_Hoping you are well,_

_Hagrid._

Albus crumpled the note and through it into the fire. He knew that Harry had not grown up with Lily's sister, but he was hoping that they might know where he had gone after he left them.

Only time would tell whether or not the Boy Who Lived would be joining them in September… until then he could only wait and pray that his greatest weapon against Tom would come safely into his care.

* * *

><p>The twins were sat outside Florian Fortescue's ice cream parlour tucking into the large Sundaes which they had purchased when Aeowyn noticed her brother's lip curl under the brim of the large hat he wore; he'd started wearing the hat so that the wizards wouldn't notice his face- to their eyes he bore great resemblance to the late James Charlus Potter and his eyes looked exactly like Lily Evans Potter's had in life.<p>

"What's funny?" she asked

Airen pointed in the direction of a large man who could not be any less than half Giant; or rather the large blonde boy waddling behind him looking stony faced.

"Know him?"

"Only from my nightmares," Airen was trying not to laugh. "The son of Lily Potter's sister."

"_That_ is the Dursley boy?" Aeowyn bit her lip to refrain from laughing. "Well to look at him, he has never known the hunger that you experience in your dreams."

"What are the odds, do you suppose, of his being here being part of father's punishment of his parents?"

Airen's green eyes met Aeowyn's mismatched ones and they both burst out laughing- it was, to be honest, a dead cert.

"_Tad Gall fod yn greulon iawn,_" Aeowyn remarked, _Father really can be cruel._

Airen nodded. Dudley Dursley would fit in at Hogwarts about as well as a Goblin in a Bath House.

* * *

><p>The first of September came along far too quickly for the Fae of the Castle beyond the Goblin City. Given that in the wizarding world Sirius Black was still in Azkaban; and to see him in Kings Cross station would cause uproar that wasn't due for two years; so he and Lyra had to bid their nephew farewell before he left for Hogwarts.<p>

Jareth, Sarah and the twins appeared directly on Platform 9 ¾ with mere minutes to go before the train left.

"Would you like a hand with your trunk?" Aeowyn asked

"Please," Airen nodded, having returned from putting Hedwig the owl on the train

Each taking an end of the trunk, the twins hefted the trunk into the luggage rack beside the sleeping snowy owl.

"Wyn!" their mother called. "Harry!"

The two of then bounded off the train to meet their parents- Sarah pulled Airen into a tight hug and kissed his cheek. "My little boy,"

"_Mama!_" He laughed, embarrassed, as he pulled back- wiping his cheek on his sleeve.

Jareth placed his hands on his son's shoulders. "Be careful my son- keep your head down and we shall see you at Christmas."

Airen suddenly found himself in his father's embrace. "Goodbye papa,"

When Jareth pulled back Airen turned to face his sister, Aeowyn gave him a reasonable facsimile of her normal grin before lunging forward and hugging him herself. "I'm going to miss you, brother."

"Wyn, you'll see me again at Christmas," he laughed. "And besides, I've got my mirror."

Mirror magic was child's play for their kind, and the mirror in question was one half of a pair of otherwise ordinary hand mirrors that the twins had enchanted so that they could talk to one another whilst Airen was off at school.

Aeowyn nodded, only slightly placated. "Part of me wishes I could come too."

Before Airen could respond a whistle blew.

"Hurry son," Jareth nudged him towards the train.

After leaping onto the train Airen hung out of the window.

"See you at Christmas!" he called as the Hogwarts Express pulled out of the station- waving until the train rounded the corner and he lost sight of his family.

The seat was uncomfortable when Airen finally sat back on it, feeling more nauseous than excited- this was it, the start of the prophecy; if everything went as planned then in five short years' time Harry James Potter could fade into memory. Until then the Prince of the Goblins would just have to try and have as much fun as possible.

* * *

><p>Airen's nose wrinkled as the stench of Dark Magic assaulted it- it seemed to be getting closer and was really making it difficult to concentrate on reading. His brow furrowed as he repressed the urge to gag, wondering who in their right mind would use the Dark Arts on the Hogwarts Express. The compartment door slid open and a red haired boy of his own age entered; the smell accompanied him.<p>

"Can I sit here?" the boy asked. "Everywhere else is full."

Airen doubted that, but he couldn't flat out refuse on the grounds of something malodorous that the wizard boy couldn't even smell.

"Make yourself at home." he invited the red head, somewhat reluctantly.

"I'm Ron by the way," the boy smiled his introduction. "Ron Weasley."

"Call me Harry."

Ron Weasley's face went slack. "You're Harry Potter?"

Oh how Airen wished his could refute that- Harry James Potter was a fiction; however the prophecy wouldn't let him. "Apparently so,"

Ron stared at him unabashedly; Airen rolled his eyes and returned his attention to his book- a first copy of the Tales of Beadle the Bard. This boy was almost as bad as the ferret-faced one he'd met in the robe shop last month.

"It's very rude to stare," he remarked, not looking up from the rune.

"Oh," Ron flushed as red as his hair. "Sorry- um Harry, is it true that you grew up with Muggles?"

"I grew up with a loving family," Airen told him. "Why should it matter whether or not they possess magic?"

Ron didn't appear to have an answer to that. Uncle Padfoot had told him that the Wealey clan were a light family who supposedly didn't care about the magic level in a person's bloodline. Somehow Airen did not get that impression from this youngest brother.

* * *

><p>Albus Dumbledore looked at the boy- he could scarcely believe that young Harry Potter had made it to Hogwarts after all. He seemed none the worse for wear having been taken from his Aunt and Uncle's doorstep that Halloween night ten years earlier. The boy had obviously been well cared for where ever he'd been; and by the cool calm aura he was giving off the people who had taken him in had a great deal of knowledge about his school.<p>

The Sorting hat finished its song, and then Professor McGonagall proceeded to call the first years to be sorted.

Harry had been sorted into Gryffindor, much to Albus' relief- and he had struck up a friendship with Arthur and Molly Weasley's youngest son Ronald. His cousin had been placed, somewhat controvertially, in Slytherin. It was late; about an hour after lights-out and the Headmaster slipped into Gryffindor tower and up to the first year boys' dormitory. Leglimency was easiest to perform when the subject's defences were lowest. Albus was loath to do this to an innocent first year; how did this differ to young Tom's use of the art?

Because he was doing this for the boy's own good- to help him, not to harm.

Albus slipped into Harry's mind and frowned at the reception he was met with:

_I know a song that will get on your nerves_

_Get on your nerves_

_Get on your nerves_

_I know a song that will get on your nerves_

_And this is how it goes_

_This is the song that will get on your nerves_

_Get on your nerves_

_Get on your nerves_

_This is the song that will get on your nerves_

_And this is how it goes..._

"Where have you been my boy?" he asked the sleeping eleven year old.

Whomever it was that raised him had done so with training in occlumency- no child should be able to keep him, Albus Percival Wolfric Brian Dumbledore out of their mind, even if they were awake.

"Where in the world have you been?"

~V~


	12. XI: Settling In and Showing Off

_**Hey guys. Thanks to everyone who's reviewed, followed and/or favourited since I last updated.**_

_**And now a nod to an anonymous review that I'd forgotten I was sent for chapter eight**_

_**Allamaraine: You'll have to forgive me- I know nothing about wine, except that its alcoholic, made from grapes and I can't stand any of it. And may I also remind you that the Underground is a magical realm, if it makes you feel better chalk it up to some preservation spell, or mere artistic license on behalf of an author who didn't think anyone would balk over so minor a detail as the year of the wine I made up off the top of my head. Thank you, though for the advice on wine.**_

_**And now that that's dealt with, I give you...**_

* * *

><p><em><strong>}Chapter Eleven{<strong>_

Airen woke early on 2nd September and it took him an absurd amount of time to work out where he was. Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry- he was one important step closer to fulfilling his completely unwanted destiny.

There was a goblin in a in a ratty brown dress perching on the end of his bed.

"Sleep good, prince?" the goblin asked.

"Well enough… sorry, which one are you?"

"I's Hedwig, prince." it, _she_ replied. "Queen send me, be you's owl to writes home."

Airen blinked. "You can turn into an owl?"

The goblin blinked an owlish blink but shook her head. "King say you throw..." she fished around in the pocket of her skirt and produced a crystal which really shouldn't have fit. "_This_ at hedwig and I be an owl."

Airen took the proffered sphere and, shrugging, threw it at the goblin. Moments later a beautiful snowy owl perched on the spot where the goblin had been.

"The feathers suit you." the young prince told the former goblin, and she ruffled her feathers proudly. Airen laughed. "Alright Hedwig, just give me a minute and you'll have your first delivery of your new job."

Hedwig blinked.

Airen scribbled a quick note to let his parents know that he was well and to thank them for their thoughtful gift. He tied the letter to Hedwig's leg and carried her to the window. It was really remarkable how quickly a creature that had not been a bird for even five minutes had mastered flight- Airen supposed that it was all part of the spell that papa had sent in the crystal. When Hedwig had faded from view, Airen threw on his school uniform and the spectacles that he had been given to make his eyes appear human; he ran his hands through his black hair and snatched up his school bag ready for whatever his first day of wizard school would bring.

* * *

><p>Hogwarts lessons proved to be even more boring than Airen had anticipated, he had to hold back, pretend that he hadn't learned everything they were being taught before he was ten years old and to make matters worse he didn't even have Wyn to keep him sane. Three days into his <em>education<em> the most interesting thing to happen was a note from Hagrid the gamekeeper (a man that Lyra and Sirius both remembered fondly despite his loyalty to Dumbledore), inviting him to tea on Friday afternoon.

"Harry, a word if you please?"

The Boy Who Lived looked up into the eyes of Albus Dumbledore. "Of course, headmaster."

Dumbledore led him into a small, and probably unused room which may have been intended for use as a classroom, when he shut the door the old man turned to him and asked. "Where have you been living, dear boy?"

"With my family, sir," Harry replied, as if it should be obvious.

He didn't elaborate.

"Where did you grow up?" Albus pressed. "What part of the country?"

Harry's accent was so English that he couldn't have grown up in any other nation.

"Why professor?" the boy asked. "The school's owls know where to direct any post that you might send."

"In the interest of your safety Harry."

This, it seemed was the wrong thing to say, Harry looked positively murderous. "Are you implying that my family might mistreat me headmaster? I'll have you know that my mother and father loath child abuse in all its forms."

"Harry, you are an important figure in this world," Albus told him. "Your ten year absence has caused a lot of speculation."

"Was it not better for me to grow up away from the limelight, sir?" Harry asked with an elegant shrug. "I grew up with a loving family who have seen to it that my education has been in no way hindered."

* * *

><p>After breakfast on Friday morning Airen walked down to the dungeons for his first potions lesson in the wizarding world. As with every other lesson here at Hogwarts, this would be a walk over. As he descended to the dungeons, the young prince noticed goblins sneaking through the shadows. The ones that noticed him bowed or waved as he passed, but with the other students present in the cold dank corridors, he could not acknowledge his father's subjects.<p>

The potion's classroom was as dark and gloomy as the corridors leading to it; there were things, which would probably have been perfectly happy living in the Bog, pickelling in jars on the shelves which lined the walls. Airen sat beside the bushy haired Hermione Granger, who shot him a quick look- they hadn't spoken beyond a brief chat about fairy tales on the way down to breakfast on their first morning in the castle, Airen was sure she had lost weight in the few days since then. He was just about to enquire as to her health when, much to his irritation, Ron Weasley dropped into the seat on his other side.

Just as Airen was wondering when Ron would start demonstrating the qualities which he valued in a person the door banged open and Severus Snape burst in. He swept up to the front of the classroom and snatched up the register; just as professor Flitwick had. He stopped at the name _Harry Potter_, a sorry attempt at a sneer playing over his face.

"Our new celebrity," he purred, dangerously.

Behind him, Airen could hear the ferrity Malfoy boy and his two sasquatch-cronies (Scab and Broil, was it?) smothering their laughter. He didn't react but made a note to set a small goblin hoard on them. Snape meanwhile, had finished the register and was ready to begin the lesson.

"You are here to learn the subtle science and exact art of potion making," Snape began, breaking into a speech, which Airen knew from his Uncle Toby, had been used at least once before; about how much better potions was than any other lesson they'd be taught. Airen couldn't help agreeing to the part about _foolish wand waving_ though.

"Potter," Snape barked suddenly.

Airen had to remind himself that _he _was Potter, and looked up at the bat-like mortal man, his face a mask of polite inquiry. "Sir?"

"What would I get if I added powdered root of asphodel to and infusion of wormwood?"

Oh, _too_ easy, the answer was Aurora's poison, but the wizards called it: "The draught of living death professor."

Snape's nostrils flared- he'd obviously been hoping that Harry Potter would get the answer wrong. Otherwise unperturbed, he tried again. "Tell me Potter, where would you look if I asked you to find me a Bezoar?"

Airen repressed the urge to roll his eyes- he'd been expecting a challenge. "Well, they come from the stomachs of goats sir, but if _you _asked _me_ to find one right this second, I'd probably just look in the supply cupboard."

There were shocked gasps and a few nervous titters in response to his flippant reply.

Snape's eye twitched. "Alright Potter, what is the difference between Monkshood and Wolfsbane?"

"You mean apart from the spelling?" Airen quipped, drawing more gasps from his classmates. "Trick question sir, they're the same plant- also known as aconite."

"Five points from Gryffindor for cheek, Potter." Snape's eye twitched again. "And the rest of you, why aren't you copying this down?"

~V~

* * *

><p><strong><em>Couldn't resist letting 'Harry' have his moment to shine in that first potions lesson- because, secretly brave or not, Snape is a douche.<em>**

**_Next time, Airen starts making friends, and there is plot advancement._**

**_Also, look out for a new little companion piece I'll be starting soon focusing on Dudley's introduction to the wizarding world._**


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